5 takeaways from Patriots minicamp

Friday

We saw a sneak peek of the 2019 Patriots this week during the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp.

No, the pads weren’t on, so there was no hitting, blocking, jamming or players breaking tackles. Minicamp might look like touch football, but that doesn’t mean we don’t learn anything. This week was about seeing how the newcomers fit in, and who's ahead of, or behind, the curve.

It’s always interesting to see who Brady is targeting — especially when that player is new to Foxboro. And who Brady isn’t targeting is noteworthy as well. Over the course of this week, we saw some surprises, some disappointments and players who look like they normally do.

Here are five takeaways from Patriots minicamp:

Brady still Brady

It’s amazing isn’t it?

Brady is about to turn 42, yet he’s still one of the best quarterbacks on the planet. The fact that we’re witnessing a player of this caliber playing for this long is remarkable.

This week, Brady was once again the best quarterback on the field. It’s been like that going on 20 years in Foxboro. Brady completed 40 of 57 passes (70%) of his throws in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills. He didn’t throw an interception all week. He didn’t look much different than he has over the last several years.

Does this man actually age? We’re still trying to confirm.

Receiver depth chart uncertain

There aren’t a lot of certainties when it comes to the receiver position, but that’s what makes it intriguing.

This week, we saw Julian Edelman (five catches) and Phillip Dorsett (four reps) take most of the starter reps. That wasn’t surprising. Maurice Harris leading all receivers with seven catches from Brady was. As of right now, Harris has the inside track to a spot on the 53-man roster along with Edelman, Dorsett and top draft pick N’Keal Harry.

One surprise was Dontrelle Inman, but not in a good way. The veteran receiver didn’t catch a pass from Brady or any quarterback in full-team drills. He’s clearly behind Harris and might even be behind undrafted rookie Jakobi Meyers, who’s battling for a roster spot. We’re also still waiting to see Demaryius Thomas.

Linebacker depth outstanding

The Patriots are loaded at linebacker. One of the defensive standouts this week was Jamie Collins. He finished this week with two pass breakups, which tied for the second most. He was also playing with the starters.

Collins was released from Cleveland and a free agent for months before signing with the Patriots. This week, however, it looked like the All-Pro still had it. That’s a good sign for a linebacker group that also has Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Elandon Roberts.

Bentley, meanwhile, was also playing with the starters over Roberts. He was starting last year before landing on the injured reserve. The second-year player could be bound for a breakout season in 2019.

Secondary looks super-talented

How are the Patriots going to keep all these cornerbacks?

Stephon Gilmore looked like the best player on defense — again. The Pro Bowl cornerback led the Patriots with three pass deflections and absolutely erased every receiver he covered.

Jason McCourty was playing opposite of Gilmore with Jonathan Jones in the slot. Behind them were J.C. Jackson, Duke Dawson, JoeJuan Williams and Keion Crossen. Can the Patriots keep seven cornerbacks? That would be a lot, but it’s a great problem to have.

Dawson also had a solid week with two breakups. The 2018 second-rounder didn’t play in a single game last season, so it was a good sign to see the slot corner make several plays this week.

Rookies will need time

It was a tough week for the Patriots first two draft picks.

Harry set the Patriots practice field on fire when we saw him in OTAs last month. This week he was absolutely blanked by Gilmore, finishing with one catch from Brady in 11-on-11s and 7-on-7s. It was noteworthy that Brady kept going to Harry, but he'll need time to develop. Those battles with Gilmore were baptism by fire. We'll see if that changes when Harry can use his strength to create separation in training camp.

Williams had a rough week. The second-rounder allowed multiple touchdown catches. On Thursday, the 6-foot-3 cornerback was jumped over for a touchdown grab by the 5-foot-10 Dorsett. He'll need to use his physicality to succeed in the NFL. You can’t use any physicality in minicamp so the hope is that his play will improve come training camp, which opens in late July.

Mark Daniels writes for the Providence Journal of GateHouse Media.

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